At an August 2024 news conference, Donald Trump made a bold declaration, promising to tackle rising prices immediately upon winning the presidency again. He promised, “When I get elected, I’ll end this inflation with a simple plan to bring prices down—inflation starts going down on Day One.” As the economic landscape shifts, many are now evaluating the impact of these promises on various sectors, from groceries to automobiles.
The price trends of life’s necessities have seen vast swings since Trump took office in January. Take the price of a dozen large eggs, which was $4.93 when Trump slew Joe Biden. With widespread bird flu outbreaks that drove egg production significantly down, it skyrocketed in March to an all-time high of $6.23. In a victory for consumers, prices have dropped to $3.49 a dozen as of late September.
In the labormarket, In the automotive market, As we discussed here, new car prices have been relatively volatile. Indeed, by September 2025, the average price of a new car topped $50,000 for the first time. That represents a historic leap from the $48,283 typical in January. Making cars more expensive Analysts predict car prices will jump by 4% annually. They blame at least one entire percentage point of this jump on tariffs. Under normal circumstances, car prices increase 2%-3% per year.
Electricity rates have seen an uptick. In August 2025, the average residential electricity price reached 17.62 cents per kilowatt-hour. This is a huge jump from the 15.94 cents per kilowatt-hour in January of 2025. At the same time, the rapid rise in electricity prices has understandably made consumers wary of higher anticipated energy costs.
Specialists respond to puzzle over the complexities behind these price surges. White House Spokesman Kush Desai commented, “President Trump’s supply-side policies are taming Joe Biden’s inflation crisis.” Professor David Ortega cautioned against attributing too much control over food prices to presidential policies, stating, “The president of the United States has very little control over the price of food, especially in the short term.”
The President’s lofty proposals go far beyond just lowering prices. Daringly he announced that his administration will slash energy and electricity rates by 50%. This ground-shifting change will occur in less than 12 months, or a year and a half at most! As supporters continue to trumpet these lofty claims, experts have begun to raise doubts about whether they’re even remotely possible. According to Professor James Sweeney, “ … [to halve prices] it was technically impossible at the time he made the promise.”
As noted by prominent economist Diane Swonk, inflation pressures are changing. She stressed that these transitions are not simple, linear, or one-dimensional. Those shifts are clearly beginning to drive inflation pressures, she noted. She noted all the structural factors affecting price stability.
The coffee market is one poignant example where global circumstances like a GW-harming surge of cheap, instant coffee have driven down local prices. In late winter, climate storms devastated the coffee growing season, Swonk noted. She continued that the recent tariff on Brazil and Colombia only exacerbated the crisis. This interplay of environmental factors and trade policies illustrates the challenges in managing consumer prices effectively.
The automotive sector has been negatively impacted by these tariffs which have added to inflationary pressures. Erin Keating of the American Automotive Policy Council echoed those sentiments and said that tariffs have ruled the automotive roost for the past year. She’ll tell you that these tariffs only compounded inflation. Industry analysts have begun warning that these price increases could be short-lived. They warn that future increases may be on the horizon due to the continued effects of tariffs.
Undeterred by these hurdles, Trump is undeterred and still believes he can beat consumers’ expectations. We’re going to get prices down. Groceries, cars, everything,” he again stressed his commitment. Experts are cautioning everyone not to take these promises to the bank and treat them as on-the-ground improvements.